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Eleutheroi (Black Sea)
Skudra Tabari (Scythian Axemen) Armed with a Tabar axe, the primary offensive weapon of these infantrymen, they are protected with only the crescent shaped Taka shield and light armour. While unable to hold against most steppe cavalry, they can do deadly damage to some of the more "civilized" people’s inferior cavalry. But they would not last long against those same people’s massed heavy infantry. Despite some of their shortcomings, any steppe general would think twice before fighting a long campaign without these soldiers. Historically, despite all steppe peoples reliance on cavalry, most of them fielded infantry of some type at one time or another. In the case of the Scythians of the Pontic steppe, axemen were either recruited from subject farming peoples or from the growing proportion of settled Scythians, often young warriors from the tribes Doryphoroi Pontikoi (Pontic Light Spearmen) Doryphoroi Pontikoi are raised from peoples that live around the Azov Sea and the northern coast of the Black Sea and that have been subject to substantial Greek influence. This includes both original sedentary Maeotic and Sind tribes, settled groups of former nomads such as Scythians or the Sarmatian Siracae and also the Greek towns of the area. The non-Greek populations of the region have been long subject to substantial Greek influence, which is quite evident in, for example, the large oval shields of the thureos type that these infantrymen carry. That shield is typically their only protection. To it, they add spears and short swords. Thanks to their shields, they may face the many archers that their potential enemies are likely to field with some confidence and their spears allow them to fend off the light cavalry that is also common among their foes. They will also hold their ground against infantry similar to themselves. However, truly heavy cavalry, not to mention quality heavy infantry will get the better of them sooner rather than later. Historically, by the 3rd century BC oval shields with long spines and spindle-shaped bosses spread and became common into the areas around the north coast of the Black Sea. The whole region had long maintained strong connections with the Greek world and this particular process followed military developments in the Hellenistic world. Infantry men equipped with oval shields and spears became common among the diverse ethnic groups that inhabited the region and for several centuries they formed part of the armies of a variety of nations including the Pontic and Bosporan kingdoms, Scythians and Sarmatians, Greek colonies of the area and Armenia. Thureopherontes Toxotai (Bosphoran Heavy Archers) These soldiers are the epitome of Skythian and Hellenic fusion. While they wear Hellenic armour: a thureos shield, greaves, and Attico-Thracian helmet, their arms are Skythian: a bow and gorytos, and a Skythian longsword. They are among the wealthiest of the "Hellenized" class, able to afford multiple pieces of very expensive equipment, and are only eclipsed by the cavalry soldiers. They have trained extensively in archery, a tradition handed down among many on the north coast of the Pontos Euxeinos, and so may be expected to perform admirably against other missile units, few of which can match their armor level. Yet they are also well able to engage in melee, though a strategos would be unwise to send them to battle against fresh professional soldiers zealous for hand-to-hand combat. Historically, the Bosporan Basileis, and the Pontic Basileis when they came to the north shores of the Euxeinos, desperately needed effective weapons against the skirmishing cavalry of the steppes. Foot archers were effective, but with their lack of armor, many of them were very much susceptible to both missiles and charges. The heavily-armed and armored archers are attested in both kingdom's armies through grave steles, and demonstrate the fusion between Hellenism and other cultures which characterized the social and military developments of the regions outside of the "traditional" Hellenic sphere. Category:Eleutheroi